Pneumatic or elastic spring for vehicles.



W. H. STAATS, PNEUMATIC OR ELASTIC SPRING F APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28/1 0R VEHICLES.

PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

WILLIAM H. STAATS,

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or concns, new roan.

PNEU MATlOQR ELASTEC SPlRiiZG FQR VEHlGLE$n Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application filed September 28, 1905, Serial No. 280,493.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. S'iAATS, of Cohoes, in the county of Albany and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic orElastic Springs for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in pneumatic or elastic springs for vehicles of that class in which a cushion, such as an inflated or soft-rubber cushion, is disposed between the vehicleaxle and the vehiclebody to insulate the latter against vibration and to thus dispense with the necessity for pneumatic tires on the vehicle-wheels; and it consists in certain peculiarities in the construction of parts and in certain novel combinations and arrangements of elements sub stantially as hereinafter described.

In the accoinpany'ng drawings, illustrating the invention, am in which similar reference characters designate similar parts, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device. Fig. .2 is a perspective view oi the device, the cup and cushion members being removed; and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cup member, showin the means of attachment thereof to the vehicle-axle.

1 designates the vehicle-axle, and 2 a metal cup mounted on said axle, being secured thereto by the plate 3 and screws 4. The interior of this cup is substantially hemispherical in the preferred construction, asshown clearly at 5 in Figs. 1 and 3, and the exterior follows the curves of the interior except at the edges, which are enl, to form a cylindrical bearing-surface 6, and at the base, which is also enlarged, as at 7 and provided with a groove 8, adapted to the axle, and with borings 9, threaded toreceive the screws 4. The plate 3, above mentioned, is also provided with a groove 10 and screwholes 11, whereby it fits snugly around the axle and is screwed securely to the enlarged portion 7 of the cup, as shown. in Fig. 8.

Surmounting the cup 2 is-a metal cap 12, the upper portion preferably being oi hollow hemispherical construction, as at 13, while rged on the outsideedge of the cylindrical portion of said cap are downwardly-extending cars 15, upon the outside of which are formed the upper half-sections of collars, presently to be described.

Beneath the axle is a hanger 16, having lugs 17 and bolt 18, constituting attaching means for the vehicle spring proper, 19. Formed at the ends of said hanger'are the lower half-sections 20 of collars 21. The corresponding half-sections 22 of said collars are integral with and depend from the cars 15 of the cap above mentioned, and each section is connected with its respective counter-section by any suitable means, such as screws or bolts 23.

The collars 21,- ab-ove referred to, are

sli 'htl elon ated havin flat sides 24 and t) O D semicircular ends Interiorly they are of suiiicient width to easily accommodate the axle and of sufficient length to allow of vertical reciprocation of said axle equal to the relative movement allowed between the cup 2- and cap 12. Each of these collars 21 is interiorly channeled, as at 26, for the reception of a packing-rm 27 of any suitable material, but preferably formed by pressing a solid rubber strip into the channel and cementing or otherwise joining the ends.

it will be observed that when the cap 12 is in position over the cup 2- the cars 15 oi the cap will hang directly over the axle and the connected depending collars 21 will encircle said axle, one at each side of the cup, and suspend the hanger thereunder, clearly shown in i Fig. 1. By referring to Fig. 1 it will be observed that there 18 thus formed by the cup 2 its lower portionis of cylindrical form, as at 14, and is slightly larger interiorly than the bearing-surface 6 of the cup. This cylindrical portion of the cap fits around the upper edge of the cup and is designed to vertically slide against the bearing-surface 6 of saidcup with the relative movement of said cap and cup. At opposite positions on the lower and the cap 12 an approximately spherical inclosed space 28, and it is in this space that the main cushion member of my device is dis posedf 29, designates a cushion, which is preferably an inflated hermetically-sealed rubber globe, but may be of any appropriate material, shape, or construction-such, for instance, as a sponge-rubber ball of proper consistency or if a variation in the shape of the cup or cap, or both, is made the shape of the cushion may be varied to correspond therewith.

To assemble the parts, the cup is secured to the axle, the cushion is placed in the cup, the cap is fitted over the cushion and pressed down over the edges of the cup, the upper sections of the collars straddling the axle, and the hanger is attached by bolting the lower sections of the collars thereon to their respective counter sections. The rubberpackin is then pressed into the channels in the collars and the vehicle-spring proper is secured to the hanger, as shown.

Among the important advantages of the device, to spcure which constitute the objects of the invention, the following may be specially noted, namely: i

" First, thearrangement and construction of the parts are such tbat'the device may be readily applied to all ordinary vehicles and requires no attention to keep in order, ex cept, of course, the replacing of wornout parts, there being no valves or inflatable parts to become damaged or otherwise rendered useless.

Second, the cushion member is entirely inclosed, and thus protected from injury caused by dust or other foreign elements.

Third, the axle is encircled by two elem gated collars and normally rests on the lower walls of the packing in said collars, being held there by the slight pressure exerted by the cushion; but a sudden jolting of the axle causes the cushion to be compressed and the axle to strike against the up or walls of .the packing, thus preventing al vibration or shocks from reaching the vehicle-body through the spring roper. Backward and forward thrusts of the axle are taken up by the side walls of the packing, and as the col lars are disposed at both sides of the cup all twisting is thereby prevented. The packing referred to is readily accessible and may easily be replaced when worn out.

Fourth, the vehicle-spring proper is hung beneath the axle, thus securing an even pulling motion of the cap upon the cushion instead of. the thrust motion, resulting in the devices of the ball-and-plunger construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pneumatic vehicle-spring comprising a cup mounted on the vehicle-axle, a relatively movable cap surmounting said cup, a hanger, two inwardly-channeled, elongated collars encircling said axle, one at each side of said cup, and disposed between and formed integrally with opposite sides of said cap and the ends of said hanger respectivel packing arranged in the channels in said collars and a cushion arranged between and compressed by said cup and cap.

2. A pneumatic vehicle-spring comprising a cup mounted on the vehicle-axle, a relatively movable cap surmounting said cup and overlapping the edges thereof, said cap being provided on opposite sides with cars, a hanger, two inwardly-channeled elongated coiiars encircling said axle'and disposed be tween and formed integrally with said earsand the ends of said hanger respectively, packing arranged'in the channels in said collars, and a cushionarranged between and compressed by said cup and cap.

3. A pneumatic vehicle-springcomprising a cup mounted on'the vehiele-axle, a cap arranged to cover the hollow in said cup, to overlap the edges thereof, and to have relative movement therewith and provided on opposite sides with downwardly-extending cars, a hanger, two inwardly-channeled, vertically-elongated collars encircling said axle and disposed between and formed integrally with said ears and the endsol' said hangerrespectively, whereby said-axle is held against relative longitudinal movement but is.al lowed a limited vertical movement, packing arranged in the channels in said collars, and

an inflated hermetically-scaled cushion arranged between and compressed by said cup and cap.

' 4. A pneumatic vehicle-spring comprising a cup mounted on the vehicle-axle, the interior of said cup being substantially hemispherical in shape, and the exteripr being provided with cylindrical bearing edges, a cap arranged over said cup, to overlap the edges thereof, and have relative movement therewith, the interior of said cap being substantially hemispherical in shape except that portion thereof which overlaps the edges of the cup, which portion is substantially cylindrical in shape, said cap being provided on opposite sides with downwardly-extending cars, a hanger below the axle, two inwardly channeled vertically-elongated collars encircling said axle and disposed between and v formed integrally with said ears and the ends of said hanger respectively, whereby said axle is held against relative longitudinal movement but is allowed a limited vertical movement, packing arranged in the channels in said collars and an inflated hermeticallysealed cushion arranged between and compressed by said cup and ca 5. In a pneumatic vehiciie-spring, the combination with a vehicle-axle and a vehiclespring proper, of a relatively movable cup andcap, the cup being mounted on the axle and the cap disposed above said cup and being mounted on the spring proper by means comprising a hanger disposed beneath the axle and connected to the edges of said cap by two elongated collars which encircle said axle, one at each side of said cup, whereby said axle may have a limited vertical but no horizontal movement relative to the spring proper, a cushion arranged between and compressed by said cup and cap, and packingrings arranged interiorly of said collars.

' In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. STAATS.

Witnesses:

WM. REEPM-EYER, ARcinBALD MACLEAN.

ror, 

